


Parallelism

by AconiteoftheValley (TheLilyoftheValley), TheLilyoftheValley



Series: Commissions [3]
Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drabble Collection, Elarious - Freeform, Evil!Elaris AU, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kofi Com for DIMENSI0NHEIST, Kofi commission, Major Character Death happens in the fourth drabble!!, Nef being supportive, Robotized AU, Royalty AU, Tragedy, being evil together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28345593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLilyoftheValley/pseuds/AconiteoftheValley, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLilyoftheValley/pseuds/TheLilyoftheValley
Summary: Kofi coms for DIMENSI0NHEIST of Twitter. A collection of Elarious drabbles. Nefarious and Elaris matched each other in ways no one else could.
Relationships: Elaris/Dr. Nefarious
Series: Commissions [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016274
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Drabble 1: Robotized AU

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. I'm glad DIMENSI0NHEIST on Twitter got me to write out some of my Elarious AUs because HHHH I desperately needed to write something for these two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robotized AU. A world of nightmares awaits her, but she's not alone in facing them.

Parallelism

Drabble 1: Robotized AU

Her hand shook, and even though she couldn't breathe anymore, Elaris mimicked taking in a deep breath. Her mouth moved, but words failed her.

Nefarious slowly stepped around the Rangers' technician, his optics locked on her as he gestured to the hospital bed she had gotten up from earlier in the day. Claws lifted and pointed to the bed, and Nefarious made to speak, but words also failed to come from him.

Tense silence settled in the space between them.

Icy fear and a sense of wrongness balled in Elaris' new chest. She raised a finger, only for it to curl back to her palm. "What… what happens? When you… go offline…?"

The other scientist stilled, red optics already avoiding Elaris' green ones. "It… isn't pleasant the first few nights. Since your new robotic brain is still processing the trauma that happened to your old squishy one…" One hand lifted and tucked behind his neck. "You'll… Your brain will play everything back. Perfectly. Crystal clear detail."

The way he said it gave Elaris no doubt that he was speaking from personal experience, and that her situation would only bring more of the same.

Her form shook, servos whirring as stress settled into every inch of her new limbs. Her chest contracted and heaved. To remember _everything_ that had happened... Crystal clear detail. Perfect memory. Full viewing pleasure in the state she was most vulnerable-

"Elaris! Elaris, it's okay!"

Reality hit her, and Elaris felt the claws that had brought her back to the present gently massage her titanium arms.

Nefarious' facial expression was a lot softer than any she had ever seen on him. A strained smile, something that most likely wanted to be comforting and joking and serious all at the same time, decorated his face. "Um… it'll be okay," he forced out. "It usually goes away after a few months. But I'm the only other one this has happened to, so I don't know for sure, but you have a good chance of it ending in a few months or so."

A soft, nervous laugh came from the robot across from her as the strain on his face deepened.

Elaris looked back towards her bed. She had to fall offline for her new robotic body to rest at some point. There was no way she could avoid it, unless she wanted to wear down her health.

She mimicked a gulp as she looked back to Nefarious. "Nef… I… Could you…"

Nefarious' strained smile dropped, and a serious expression replaced it. "Go on, Ellie. It's okay. I'll do anything to help you."

Elaris shook under his hands. "Could you sleep next to me?" she whispered. Her voice cracked and fractured as terror finally overwhelmed her. _"I don't want to be alone…"_

The other scientist pulled her close as her legs started to weaken. "Of course," he murmured, moving them to the bed. "I can't promise that I can make the nightmares go away, but I'll be here for you when you wake up."

Elaris climbed into the bed, slow and hesitant like a prisoner headed for the gallows. After she pulled the covers over her legs, Nefarious lifted the other side of the blanket and sided up next to her. He pulled the covers up to their necks as Elaris turned her back to him.

She curled in on herself, a choked sob echoing from her mouth.

A skinny arm gently settled over her left side and laid parallel to her chest. His body pushed close to hers, and something—what felt like the oval-shaped part on his forehead—pressed against the space between her shoulder blades.

"I'm right here, Ellie… I won't let anything happen to you…"

As her systems fell offline and the memories of the accident began to replay in her mind, her hands held tight to the arm around her. And when she jack-knifed up from her horizontal position in the middle of the night, her hands clawing at her throat for air and tears flooding down her metal cheeks, Nefarious was right there.

She wasn't alone, and he made it known that she never would be.


	2. Drabble 2: Royalty AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Royalty AU. Elaris knows. She knows the damage the egomaniacal King of Solana has done, but she's still holding onto the belief that with enough effort, Qwark will change his ways.
> 
> It's time for them both to wake up to the reality around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. I have no idea why a Royalty AU for these two popped into my head at one point, but I'm rolling with it for that angst.

Parallelism

Drabble 2: Royalty AU

"You were right."

Those three words, especially from the one that had stood at _his_ defense for so long, was music to his audio receptors.

"Of course, I'm right," Nefarious grumbled. His arm swished at the black cape, sweeping the garment to the side so he could better face his guest. The buckles on his uniform's coat clacked together softly. "That imbecile's done more damage during his time as King than any other ruler of Solana has done in the entire history of its existence!"

Elaris stood still, her hands fists at her sides. Her expression remained stoic and regal, head tilted back and chin raised. "I understand that Qwark has done things that have harmed individuals, but I believe that there may be a way to convince him to change his selfish ways and be better."

Nefarious whirled around to face Elaris. Red optics shrank to pinpricks as the robot straightened to his full height. "I beg your pardon?!" he exclaimed. With every syllable, he stomped over to where Elaris stood at the far end of the throne room. "You mean to tell me that you think that that _MORON_ can fix all the damage he's done by, what, begging and pleading him to be nice?! Hitting him with the power of friendship?!"

Elaris kept her face expressionless as Nefarious leaned over her, the harsh gaze from angry red optics drilling through her body. "He won't change," Nefarious whispered. "Not now, not ever. He will only ever be the stupid, selfish, _miserable_ oaf that was handed the throne and couldn't care less about the people that live under his rule."

Her eyebrows furrowed as her expression hardened. "He can change," she challenged. "Not everyone is as heartless and set against you as you think, Nefarious."

The warlord whirled around with a scoff. His arms jutted out dramatically, and his body language did little to hide his emotions. "What makes you think he can be changed?! He's only ever thought about himself. He's only ever done things only if they benefit him, and you think he has the possibility to change?" Nefarious whipped back around to face the well-dressed royal. "You think that everyone has the possibility to change, but that's not the case, Elaris! You need to break out of this idiotic little fantasy world and wake up to the reality we live in!"

He stepped close to her, lowering his voice. "Tell me, my dear Queen of Solana, what gave you the indication that people could just change just by being nice and friendly to them?"

"You."

Nefarious froze, the anger in his expression dispelled in an instant.

Elaris closed in the small bit of distance between them. "You've changed a lot since I've come here. The way you treat your armies and citizens has gone up, and you're much more patient with Lawrence and other people." Her hand lifted to his cheek, carefully waiting for him to push his head close to her hand before fully settling the limbs along the curve of his mouthpiece. "You've been through a lot, Nef. You don't have to hurt yourself further to get the justice you deserve."

"I haven't changed!" Nefarious backpedaled, darting away from the woman. His body dropped into a defensive position, his cape coming back around to cover his body, and a wild look filled his optics. "You're wrong! Nobody can just change by being nice!"

Elaris' mask finally cracked, and the young Queen looked to the warlord with empathy in her green eyes.

"Then why did you release me from being a prisoner?" she whispered. "You had the Queen of Solana at your mercy, and yet, after a day of me being here, you gave me the choice to walk out of the stronghold if I chose to. And then you let me live here after I made my decision to stay, despite knowing that I could have funneled information back to Solana or taken advantage of your generosity."

Her fingers stretched out, then curled back into a fist.

"Then why am I still here?"

The soft-spoken words hung over the space.

Nefarious' mouthpiece moved erratically as the robot stumbled over his words. "But that's- That's- I'm not just a simpering little squishy!"

"You changed, Nefarious." Elaris softened, her hands lifting to intertwine. "Ever since I got here, you've been treating people better. If there's a way that we can just talk to Qwark about fixing the damage he's done-"

**_"NO!"_ **

Elaris shrank back as the robot warlord threw out his arms and leaned forward, his mouthpiece dropping as the shrill note echoed around the throne room.

Nefarious instantly pulled back, guilt covering his face. It was there for a moment before anger wiped it away, and the warlord hunched back over as he looked away from Elaris. "He won't change," Nefarious repeated. "He never will."

Frustration drew hard lines in Elaris' face as she took a step toward him. "Then why did you?!"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Don't you dare try to throw this conversation away!" Nefarious whipped around on his heel, stalking away from Elaris as the queen continued speaking. "You changed because of me, or else why would you have kept me around for as long as you have?! You want to deny this, but I can see right through you!" She followed after him, the click of her heels against the floor drawing a flinch from the warlord. Her voice trembled, emotion and desperation flooding every word. "Why have you treated me so well when you could have just thrown me away?!"

Nefarious' cape snapped in the air as he whirled around to face her. _**" BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!"**_ he bellowed.

The silence that followed was deafening.

His chest heaved, and rage and embarrassment mixed together in his expression. "You're the only person that's ever treated me as nicely as you do. No one else has ever wanted to listen to what I've actually wanted to say before, and you make me feel like I'm not just screaming into a void."

Red optics centered on glassy green eyes.

"You make me feel like an actual person." Nefarious' voice softened. "Everytime I'm with you, you make me feel like I'm not alone, that you understand me perfectly. That you're all I need to be completed and whole." He paused, and his gaze left Elaris'. "I can see now that you don't feel the same way…"

Her face fell. "Nefarious…"

Pain, raw with misery and defeat, flooded Nefarious face. "Leave," he commanded softly. "If you're so clearly attached to someone who won't respect you enough to listen to a simple fact of matter, then go back to the one you defend so fiercely."

"Nef… please, listen…" Elaris reached out to him, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "It doesn't have to be like this-"

"Yes. Yes, it does." He turned away from her, waving his hand. "Lawrence will show you out."

"Nef, please-"

"I told you to wake up from your silly fantasy world, and it's about time I wake up from mine." He straightened, tucking his arms behind his back and under his cape. "Don't come back, Elaris. Ever."

Tears ran down her cheeks. "I understand."

"No, you don't, and you never will." Nefarious strode off, keeping himself from looking back to her. "Goodbye, my dear Elaris. I hope you have a good rest of your life, and that you wake up to reality before you get hurt like I did."

The loudest sound he had ever heard—the choked sob of the most wonderful woman he had ever known—dug right through his chest as he walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to him.

It hurt him far more than being robotized ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspos: "Laudy Daudy" by Prznt and "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz.
> 
> I promise there shall be more fluffy stuff in the next drabbles! …After Evil!Elaris of course.


	3. Drabble 3: Evil!Elaris AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evil!Elaris AU. After so long of putting up with the Rangers' mistreatment of her, Elaris finally turns to the only man who can help her with getting revenge...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. I remembered the drawing Dimensi0nHeist did for Elaris being evil and that was all I needed for this drabble.

Parallelism

Drabble 3: Evil Elaris AU

They hadn't known what they had lost until it was gone.

Nimble fingers danced across the command center's keyboard, and studious eyes monitored the information flooding the holo-screen. Attack plans, defense statuses, weapon stockpile locations…

She knew them all better than the back of her own hand, but running a preliminary check never hurt anyone.

"Elaris! What's the status on the Hall of Heroes assault?"

"Already hacked into their defenses and locked every access to their weapon stockpiles," she answered. Her eyes stayed locked to the screen. "I'm currently working on shutting down their communications line to cause further havoc during the final attack."

Silence filled her ears, then gentle claws rested over her left shoulder.

"…I couldn't have done this without you. I hope you know that."

"I do." A soft smile perked up her lips, her expression a ghost of the happy face the Rangers used to see just before they shoved her to the side. "…I know I'm still unused to evil, but thank you for taking me in and just… listening to me for once."

"You have a lot of great ideas." His words were soft. "You're an absolutely brilliant woman. Brave. Intelligent… The Rangers shouldn't have treated you as poorly as they did, and I'm more than happy to help you take your revenge."

They kept quiet for a moment, and their gazes locked on the holo-screen.

A beep sounded, and then the moment to send the signal to the troops for the attack came.

A red button lit up on the control panel's dashboard, signaling the opportunity to finally send the newly designed warbots into the Hall of Heroes. Elaris felt the ends of her mouth lift higher. "Bit cliché, don't you think?"

"I like to keep my villainy traditional from time-to-time."

Her finger moved over the button, hovering over the small surface. Her mouth moved, struggling to form words, but sound failed to follow.

"What's the matter?"

His gentle words echoed in her ears.

Elaris' tongue swept over her pressed lips. "If I push the button… there's no going back. Once it's done, I'm a certified villain."

"…You're scared to take the leap."

Blue eyes flicked to the information on the screen. "I mean… with all the help and information I've already given you, I'd be registered as an accomplice. But this…"

Claws dipped under her chin and bumped the bottom of her face to get her to look up.

Nefarious' usually frowning face held a comforting smile. "You deserve better than them, Ellie," he murmured. "You gave them everything: your time, your ideas, your everything… and even after Drek, even after they promised to treat you better, they still treated you like garbage."

Elaris sighed and looked away, only for the robot to scoot around the side of her chair and duck his head in her line of vision. "You don't deserve to be thrown aside, no matter what the circumstance," Nefarious continued, the smile radiating empathy. "I love… having you here by my side, and I want the Rangers to pay for your mistreatment."

Flashes of memory darted through her mind. Captain Qwark refusing to listen to her on almost every occasion that required any kind of planning or tactical support. Brax and Cora forcing their way into her run-down broom-closet lab to get first-grabs at the weapons Elaris could barely finish fast enough.

Even Ratchet had ignored her most of the time, his eyes filled with the sight of the other Rangers and his need to impress them with his own skills.

The only one that had listened had been Clank, but even then, it was a hollow victory. Clank was usually with Ratchet, and when the little robot was around her, the only think he could offer was words of half-hearted hope. There was only so much of "They'll see your worth eventually" she could take.

Fingers lifted to her head to flick down the lime-green visor by her crown, dropping the eyewear over her eyes. Black eyebrows narrowed, and a soft breath of air drew in through her nose as she rose from her chair.

"You're right, Nef. I deserve better." She paused, staring at the screen. Her gaze turned to an imperious glare. "And it's about time I make that known to them…"

Without a moment of hesitation, her finger jabbed the red button.

Alarms blarred throughout the ship, red flashes bathing the command center in violent-colored light. Cheers and hollers echoed down the hall as Nefarious troopers swarmed the ship's exits. Security camera footage, trained on every inch of space in the Hall of Heroes, popped up across the ship's massive observatory window.

"They made their choice, and now I've made mine." Evil intent touched the smile on her face, and she lifted her chin before looking up to the robot beside her. "I look forward to working with you, doctor. I will do whatever I can to help you in your quest for revenge."

He matched her smile. "No…" he hummed. Claws settled on her hip, and the robot pulled her close. " _Our_ revenge."

They didn't know what kind of genius they had had among their ranks until their mistreatment of her led to her joining the side of evil.

Elaris grinned. "'Our revenge…' I like the sound of that…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspo: "Meddle About" by Chase Atlantic
> 
> I had so much fun writing this. I need to write Evil!Elaris more…
> 
> Onto the next drabble! :D


	4. Drabble 4: Battle Wounds (MCD)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW - Character death. They all thought she had been the one to be hit by Vox's laser. They all thought that Vox had cruelly snatched her life away, leaving them without one of their most optimistic and supportive members.
> 
> The truth was that she hadn't been the one that was hit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters.
> 
> Me: "I like to write fluffy stuff to keep me happy."
> 
> Also me: "Let me just write as many angst drabbles as I possibly can these two weeks."
> 
>   
> **((Trigger warning: major character death))**  
> 

Parallelism

Drabble 4: Battle Wounds

Her fingers tore at the wall of rubble in front of her. Tears wet her cheeks, and choked sobs mixed with her calls.

"NEFARIOUS?! NEF?! NEF, PLEASE, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Silence echoed around the area of destroyed flooring she called to.

Above her, through the large hole she and Nefarious had fallen into, the raging battle between the villain and the Rangers drew on. Cora's screams of fury intermixed with Brax's, and even Captain Qwark couldn't keep the rage out of his shouts as he desperately tried to keep the Rangers united.

They had all thought it had been her. They all thought the blast had hit her and damaged her body beyond repair. They all thought she had been the one to catch Vox's shot, that she had been the one to take the shot and break the spirit of the Galactic Rangers.

The metal body that slammed against her as the floor fell away said otherwise.

"NEF?! _**NEF**_?!" Breath caught tight in her throat as she climbed over the pile of shattered floor. Her fingers fumbled with the rocks, fear and adrenaline loosening her grip around the pile's rugged incline. "Please! I know you're out there! Where are you?!"

"' _L… a_ _ **ri**_ _… ri_ _ **s**_ _…"_

It was faint. It was full of static. It barely gave any indication to where the robot supervillain was.

But it was just enough.

Wild strength and determination flooded every limb of her body. The pain her body had been in since the fall washed away as the adrenaline rush took over, aiding her climb over the rubble. Booted feet scrambled against the jagged side, finding all the right places to lift her higher, and in an instant, Elaris vaulted over the top of the pile.

There, at the bottom of the other side of the pile, laid Nefarious.

More than half his body was nothing more than a mangled mess. Everything from the waist down was unsalvageable, and his chest was so broken that the mimicked breathing motions it did were shaky and barely noticeable. His head was tilted back against the rock, mouth open.

"' _L… ari… ris…"_

She was already moving before her name fully left his mouth.

Rubble ruptured under her boots as she slid down the side of the rubble pile. Her legs gave out under her just as she reached the robot, and her knees thwacked against the floor next to him.

Tears blurred her sight so much that she could barely see Nefarious' dim optics.

His head rolled to his right, and that's when Elaris saw the deep gash on the bottom curve of his head. Damaged wires sparked, and even without her advanced knowledge on robotics, Elaris knew that he wasn't going to last much longer.

She heard sobbing, so heart-broken and raw that it seemed to come from somewhere else entirely.

A small, sad smile stretched across Nefarious' mouthpiece as his optics settled on her. _"Hey… Ellie…"_

Words stalled at the tip of her tongue for the longest stretch of time, nothing more than mangled and jumbled sounds cut in half with stuttering coughs.

"You… You didn't have to…" Elaris finally choked out. Her fingers lifted up to cup the side of his face, and a soft hum left the robot as her thumb massages the area where his cheek used to be.

" _It… was either… you… or me…"_ The soft smile grew a little wider. _"Vox… already knew… you were… my… weakness… anyway…"_

Elaris tilted her head, careful to match the angle of her head to the angle of his. A strangled laugh bubbled out of her mouth. "I'm… I'm kinda surprised you hadn't backstabbed him yet…"

Nefarious' head lifted and his chest stuttered, mimicking a snort. _"Was 'bout to… til you and… the morons… showed up…"_

Above them, the roar of the battle blanketed the space. Gunshots and rocket blasts drowned out the shouts from the Rangers, and Vox's worried cries about the condition of his mech mixed with the thunder of several Devastators all activating at once.

And yet, nothing was louder in Elaris' ears than the sound of her crying.

" _It'll… be okay… 'Laris…"_

She forced herself to look down at the broken robot under her. "There's- There's no way I can fix you in time, can I?"

A dreamy expression crossed the supervillain's face. _"No…"_ Before Elaris could say something in response, Nefarious spoke up again, his voice fading fast. _"I'm just… glad I'm not… alone…"_

She couldn't see him anymore.

"Nef-"

" _I wouldn't… let… you get… hurt…"_ The red in his optics flickered, and as his optics closed, his mouthpiece moved. _"I… love you… Ellie… Thank you… for… being in my life…"_

The bright red turned completely dark, and Elaris finally gave in to the mess of emotions in her chest.

When the fight with Vox was over, when the rest of the Rangers finally looked down the hole in the floor to try and find their fallen technician, they found Elaris wrapped tight around Nefarious' mangled body, shaking as she tried to talk to the robot.

And for the longest time, the only thing that the Rangers heard her say was, "I love you too… Please, please don't go…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspo: "Ashes" by Celine Dion.
> 
> I wanted to give one more angsty one before moving on to other fluffy stories, and I'm glad the next two will give me some happiness to focus on!
> 
> Onto the next drabble! :D


	5. Drabble 5: Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They filled each other's minds, both when they were around each other and when they weren't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. Last Elarious drabble for this collection! Time to give some fluff for some of the past chapters!

Parallelism

Drabble 5: Thoughts

They filled each other's minds, both when they were around each other and when they weren't.

They couldn't help it. Being around the other was like breathing in that first gasp of air after being underwater. Each moment carried a feeling of relief, and the warmth of finally being listened to swept over both of them the moment they heard the other call their name. Words and ideas were accepted and encouraged. Gentle touches set fire to their skin and kept them close. For the first time in so many years, they felt a deep connection between them, a shared experience that only they knew.

The love didn't fade away when they were apart.

Whenever Elaris thought of her lab partner, a soft smile would curl up the corners of her mouth and deep color would dot her cheeks. Blue eyes would look away, careful to keep down to the floor, and her fingers would lift up to massage the skin at the back of her neck. The thought of him warmed her chest and tickled her skin in a magical way that bubbled happiness through her veins.

More often than not, the other Rangers caught her gooey grin that appeared whenever she stayed by Nefarious' side.

He was no better. Every time the scientist thought of the wonderful woman that helped and worked with him on his experiments and weapon constructions, his eyes would roll up and one side of his mouth would lift higher than the other. Deep green colors darkened his face whenever he brought up the memory of her laugh, embarrassment and shyness painting his face even if he was by himself.

Nefarious gained the reputation as "Flustered Nerd" throughout the entirety of the Ranger corp. within the first month of Elaris working as a Ranger.

Their love stretched over the space. They completed the other, and when they weren't together, their minds filled in the empty space.

* * *

"I was thinking about you yesterday…"

The low hum of the air conditioner hung over the room, giving the early dawn a telltale sound of arrival. Darkness covered the open space, and the two occupants in the modest bed shifted deeper under the covers as the morning chill drew goosebumps across their exposed skin.

A soft laugh came from Elaris. "Have you ever stopped thinking about me, Nef?"

"Well, no." His arm, curled over her stomach and nestled around her waist, pulled her closer to his chest. "But I was thinking about more than just you in the present. I thought of you. Of us. Of the future we could have…"

Elaris rolled over to face him, her nightgown tightening around her hips with the shift. "Funny you mention that…" she hummed. "I've been thinking the same kind of thing…"

Their gazes broke, and their eyes looked down at the soft white sheets. Fingers ducked under both their pillows, reaching for something they had been hiding from the other for the past two weeks.

"Ellie, you're the light of my life-"

"Nef, I've never felt so good around anyone else-"

Both stopped short as their eyes locked onto the ring in the other's hand.

Nefarious ring was small, a platinum band with a tear-drop of raritanium surrounded by sapphires. Elaris' ring was a similar platinum band, near the same ring size as her own finger, and decorated with small studs of raritanium.

Silence fell in the space between them.

Then, the laughter started.

It began as a giggle, rising up from both their chests and curling their mouths into enormous smiles. Then it morphed into full-on laughter, echoing around the room as both clapped their free hands over their foreheads.

And when the laughter died down, the smiles stayed.

Nefarious gazed at the woman across from him. "Well, guess the secret's out."

"I don't mind," Elaris chuckled. "I think we both knew where it was going next."

Nefarious held up his ring to her. "Then do you think you'd be up for marrying me?"

"I'd love to, so long as you're up for marrying me…"

Blue eyes blurred as Nefarious slipped the ring onto Elaris' left ring finger. "I can't think of anyone else I would rather be with, Ellie."

She ran her ring over his left ring finger. Tears of joy snaked down her cheeks, and the goofy grin on her face couldn't be shaken.

When both rings were on their hands, the two looked back up to each other.

"I love you, Ellie." Gentle fingers hooked under her hand and pulled the back of her hand to his lips. "Now and forever," he whispered against her skin.

Her body cuddled close to Nefarious, and she pulled her hand away from his mouth to replace with her own. Soft kisses drowned the rest of the world away.

"Right back at you, sweetheart." Elaris hugged him close, nuzzling her head just under his. "I love you so much and more…"

And as the first rays of sunlight drifted through the bedroom's window, the newly-engaged lovers began to plan out their future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspo: "True Love" by Ariana Grande.
> 
> This is the last com for this collection! There was the option for more stories, though DH was okay with me ending here. Since there's still some stories I could write for them, I may write them out and gift them to them later, but overall, this set of coms is finished! Thank you so much for comming me, Nadja, and thank you so much for pushing me to finally write some Elarious!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you all enjoyed! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Song Inspo: "Motions" by Prznt. That song inspired this whole AU.
> 
> Speaking of this whole AU, I definitely need to write the intro fic for this at some point. I'll try to get out something for it at some point, but here is a clip of one of my Elarious ideas to satisfy the angst drabble com DimensionHeist wanted.
> 
> Thank you for comming me, and onto the next drabble! :D


End file.
